Tobacco-feeding mechanism



Aug. 7, 1928. -1,679,948

W. H. SCHUSSLER TOBACCO REEDING MECHANISM Filed May 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Aug. 7, 1928.

W. H. SCHUSSLER TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM Filed May 8, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ll \\\\N gwva'nto' z WW 7%. pm

' 1,679,948 W. H. SCHUSSLER TOBACCO FEEDING MECHANISM Filed May a 1926 4 Sheets- Sheet 4 Patented Aug. 7,1928 a y I 1,679,948

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. SGHUSSLER, Dill PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA TOBACCO-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Application filed May 8, 1926. Eerial No. 107,630.

The object of this invention is to devise Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tobacco novel means for feeding short filler or feeding mechanism embodying my invenshredded tobacco which is commonly known tion. a

in the trade as scrap tobacco; Figure 2 is a top plan view. A i 55 p A further object of my invention is to Figure 3 is a section online 33 of Figdevise a novel method of feeding tobacco ure 1. involving the steps of removing the tobacco Figure 4 is a section on line 4& of from proximity to adischarge outlet and Figure 3. permitting it to return in a loosely asso- Similar numerals of reference indicate 60 ciated condition into proximity to the dis corresponding parts.

charge outlet, and preferably thereafter the Referring to the drawings loosely associated tobacco is removed through For the purpose of illustration, I have said discharge outlet. shown the tobacco feeding mechanism as With the above and other objects in View having a supporting frame work 1 which 65 as will hereinafter more clearly appear, my may be integral with or separate from a invention comprehends novel tobacco feedtobacco treating or bunching machine or ing mechanism which can form an integral which may form an attachment to a mapart of a cigar bunching machine or an atchine of such character. tachment thereto. The frame has connected with it a sup- 70 It further comprehends novel tobacco porting conveyor which at its upper end is feeding mechanism wherein novelmeans are in the form of a chute or hopper 3 into provided for causing the particles of towhich the tobacco is placed in any desired bacco to be loosely associated, and, for this or conventional manner. purpose, I have disclosed a preferred em- The support 2 is recessed as at 4: in order 7 bodiment in which the tobacco is contained to form a bearing for a revoluble tobacco in a revolving drum having provision for receiving and feeding drum 5 which is propreventing the packing together of the parvided with shaft 7 having a pulley 8 which ticles of tobacco. Novel means are prois adapted to receive a drying belt 9, which vided for removing the loose tobacco from is driven by any desired source of power. 30 30 the drum, and novel means are a so pro- The end plate 6 has connected with it the vided for conveyingthe fed tobacco to a bars 10 which are also connected with the desired place of utilization, such as, for exrcvoluble drum 5 for example by spot wcldample, a cigar bunching machine. i inn". lhe drum 5 is provided with a guard It further comprehends a novel method 12 having the outwardly extending cars 123 35 of feeding tobacco. into which pass fastening devices i l in the Other novel features of construction and form of bolts and nuts, the bolts passing advantage will hereinafter more clearly apthrough the ends of thearins of the spider pear in the detailed description and the 15 and being secured in position by means appended claims. of the nuts. i

For the purpose of illustrating the invoic 'lha spider 15 is stationary and is carried tion, I have shown in the accompanying by or forms a part of the frame work 1. drawing a typical embodiment of it, which, The. bars 10 are radially disposed within in practice, will give reliable and satisthe drum 5 and are of greater width in factory results. It is, however, to be underproximity to the guard 12, and each bar is 95 stood that this embodiment is typical only provided with a number of slots 16. The and that the various instrumentalities of guard or drum cover 12 at its lower end is which my invention consists can be variprovided with a discharge opening 17 which ously arranged and organized, and the inhas connected with it in any desired manner vention is not, therefore, limited to the prethe downwardly curved bars 18 which form we cise arrangement and organization of these a grate or grid...

instrumentalities. The bars form slots between them which cured to the wheels on the shaft 21.

I driving Shaft 7 has fixed to a a gear 24 register with the slots 16 and into these slots are adapted to extend the tobacco removlng fingers 19 which are carried by the spaced wheels 20 secured to the shaft 21. V

The wheels 20 are secured in proper spaced relationship by means of the spaced members 22, and a fastening member 23Tslewhich mesheswith' a gear 25 on the shaft 21 to drive the latter.

The. shaft 21 has fixed to it a'pulley 26 around which passes a belt 27 which latter also passesarounda pulley 28 on a shaft 29, journalled in the machine frame and carrying a roller'30, around which passes an endless conveyor 31 in the form of a belt or apron, which also passes around a roller 32 carried by a shaft 33 journalled in the frame work 1. I Thedrum 5; on the shaft 7 which efi'ects its rotation, has its axis of rotation inclined to, the horizontal asseen in Figure 4, so that the tendency of the tobacco in the drum 5 is to move inwardly towards the discharge opening 17.

. The operation of my novel tobacco feeding mechanism will now be apparent to those skilled in this art, and is as follows The driving beltv 9 is driven by any desired sourceof power to effect the revolution of the driving shaft 7 and thereby of the drum 5. The shafts 7 and 21 are intergeared so that they revolve in unison. The tobacco is placed in the hopper and passes into. the drum 5. Due to the provision of the bars 10, the tobacco is lifted as the drum I revolve's and drops to thebottom in a loosely associated condition and does not become The'feeding fingers 19 of the wheels 20 remove the loose tobacco from the drum andudischar'gelit onto the conveyor belt 31 v which conveys thetobacco. to a desired place 4:5

of utilization forfurther treatment, such as for example, a tobacco bunching machine.

The fingers 19 extend into the slots 16 soas to remove the tobacco, which latter I I f'alls down the grid formed by the bars 18 onto the conveyor 31. f; --"-l & ny surplus tobacco that isleft in proximity to. the discharge opening of the hopper is carried up by the bars. 10,: and, as the drum revolves, these bars'discharge the tobacco without agitation of a character whlch would tend to crumble or break the 1 particles of tobacco.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that in accordance with my present method, tobacco in proximity to a discharge outlet is removed and permitted to return in proximit to such outlet in afloosely associated con ition. The loosely associated tobacco can then be removedthroug'h the discharge outlet in any desired manner and fed to a desired point of utilization or further treatment.

If the tobacco is dense and compact it is impossible to feed it in definite quantities so that the bunches will contain a uniform weight of tobacco and be of uniform size.

Furthermore, the cigars draw better when the tobacco is in a loose condition. The rolling operation has a tendency to compact the tobacco so that if the tobacco is too compact when fed, the tobacco 1n the finished cigar has too great a density.

If tobacco is fed in the usual manner, it packs together as it piles up, and this objection is overcome in my present method and apparatus. r

I furthermore obtain a better mixture of the fine and coarse particles of tobacco, without necessitating the employment of agitators and bafiies which have a tendency to break the tobacco.

I furthermore obtain a better and more homogeneous mixture of the blends.

The drum 5 may be foraminous or in the form of a screen. i

In so far as I am aware, I am the first in the art to remove'a mass of tobacco at a discharge outlet from such outlet and then permit it to drop in a loose condition, and I desire my claims to such features to receive the broad and generic interpretation to which a pioneer in the art is entitled.

While I have. shown a preferred form for carrying out my novel method in practice, it will be understood that many different constructions can be employed.

It will now be apparent that I have devised a new and useful tobacco feeding mechanism and method of feeding tobacco which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of the invention and the above description, and while I have, in the present instance, shown and described a preferred embodiment thereof which will give in practice satisfactory and reliable results, it is to be understoodthat this embodiment is susceptible of modification in various particulars without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. r

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is 7 1. Tobacco feeding mechanism comprising a revoluble drum having its axis of rotation inclined to-the horizontal and having a discharge opening at its lower end, and means to remove tobacco from said opening.

2. Tobacco feeding mechanism comprising a tobacco receiving drum having its axis of rotation inclined to the horizontal and lower portion, a guard covering said cut away opening to form a discharge opening for the tobacco, and means to remove the tobacco from said discharge opening.

3. Tobacco feeding mechanism comprising a tobacco receiving drum having its axis of rotation inclined to the horizontal and having its outer periphery oiit away at its lower portion, a guard covering said cut away opening for the tobacco, a grid leading from said discharge opening and means passing into said grid to remove the tobacco from said drum.

WALTER H. SCHUSSLER. 

